When Howard was about 7 years old and I was 10, we went to Bournville School. He was in the infants and I was in the juniors. They were next to each other and where the playgrounds met in the middle was what Howard and I fondly called the umbrella tree. Every playtime we would meet under the umbrella tree. One day, I’d been using ink in class and my fingers were covered in it. I knew if the teacher found out I’d be in trouble and I ran to the tree to tell Howard. Dear Howard spent the whole of playtime licking the ink from my fingers! Only a very special brother would do that!